Today (Feb. 26th), the market for grains in China is shown as follows:
Corn: Domestic corn prices go down further today. The price prevails at 1,896-1,940 yuan/tonne in Shandong, some down by another 6-30 yuan/tonne. At Jinzhou port, Liaoning, 2018 new corn with 15% moisture of volume weight over 700 g/L is priced lower by 10-20 yuan/tonne at 1,740-1,750 yuan/tonne, and 20% moisture remains unchanged at 1,640 yuan/tonne. At Bayuquan port, 2018 new corn is priced steadily at 1,720-1,730 yuan/tonne (volume weight 690-700 g/L). At Shekou port, Guangdong, second-class new corn declines by 10 yuan to 1,880-1,900 yuan/tonne.
In Northeast regions, planters still have some 30-40 percent of corn unsold and find it more and more difficult to store under warmer-than-usual weather and increased rainfalls. Besides, some planters need to recoup funds for spring farming. With growing pressure for intensive sales, Northeastern sellers have also transported their corn to Norther markets. Corn prices have been dropping upon its amount spikes at factories, with another fall of 10-30 yuan/tonne in Shandong and 10-20 yuan/tonne in Northern areas. In addition, feed companies tend to wait amid low demand under souring swine fever and price declines of corn in main planting areas. Moreover, domestic corn market is also influenced by growing expectations for US corn imports since China and the U.S. have continued to propel trade talks with more and more signals for thaws. For a lack of bullish supports, short-term corn market will likely go weak further. However, provincial reserves in Heilongjiang have started to purchase and the state government will also introduce some policies for grain purchase, which may help ease pressure from intensive sales in Northeastern regions. Later focus will be sales pace and public policies.
Sorghum: Imported sorghum prices go down today. (US sorghum is not offered for out of stocks in Shanghai, Nantong, Zhangjiagang and Guangdong. Australian sorghum: raw sorghum goes down by 40 yuan to 2,160 yuan/tonne in Tianjin and remains unchanged at 2,180 in Shanghai and 2,180-2,200 in Qingdao; dried sorghum goes down by 40 yuan to 2,140 yuan/tonne in Tianjin and levels off at 2,320 in Qingdao. Domestic sorghum prices go down today: In Inner Mongolia, raw sorghum and dried sorghum remain unchanged at 1,920 and 2,040 yuan/tonne Hinggan League, 2,000 and 2,100-2,140 yuan/tonne in Chifeng; and raw sorghum with freight is priced higher by 20 yuan to 1,960 yuan/tonne in Tongliao. In Jilin Province, dried sorghum with freight is unchanged at 2,240 yuan/tonne in Changchun, raw sorghum sacks and dried sorghum with freight are both at 2,000 yuan/tonne in Songyuan, bulk dried sorghum with freight is 2,120 yuan/tonne in Baicheng, and raw sorghum goes down by 20 yuan to 1,900 yuan/tonne and dried sorghum sacks down by 60 yuan to 1,980 yuan/tonne in Taonan. In Heilongjiang Province, raw sorghum and dried sorghum with freight are priced steadily at 1,880 yuan/tonne and 1,960 yuan/tonne in Daqing, and dried sorghum with freight is unchanged at 2,000 yuan/tonne in Heihe. In Shanxi Province, raw sorghum is unchanged at 2,100 yuan/tonne in Yuncheng, bulk dried sorghum with freight is priced steadily at 2,210 yuan/tonne in Jinzhong, and raw sorghum with freight and dried sorghum with freight remain unchanged at 1,960 and 2,160 yuan/tonne in Xinzhou.
Barley: Barley price holds steady today. (Australian barley: raw sorghum is 2,220-2,230 yuan/tonne in Qingdao and remains unchanged at 2,360-2,380 in Tianjin, and bulk raw sorghum is unchanged at 2,210-2,220 in Nantong; Canadian barley: raw barley is unchanged at 2,120 yuan/tonne in Nantong; French barley: raw barley is unchanged at 2,080-2,090 yuan/tonne in Nantong; Ukrainian barley: not offered in Guangdong).
Grain market is now firmly supported by strained supply of port US sorghum and high cost of Australian sorghum. And port barley has held low inventories when import cost for Australian Barley stays stubbornly high. Therefor, importers with storage in hand tend to prop up prices. But port sorghum and barley have lost their price advantage against corn as its energy feed substitute. Moreover, slaughter enterprises remain cautious in pig admission and hog farmers become active in selling amid concerns with new cases reported from now and then. The market has estimated a 20% drops month-on-month in feed demand in February. In this case, feed enterprises are cautious in purchasing for sales declines. Spots markets of port sorghum and barley are thus curbed. Grain market has been light and port grain price remains stable today in the coexistence of the bull and the bear. Generally, port sorghum and barley markets are predicted to keep steady with some fluctuations in the short term.
(USD $1=CNY 6.70)
